2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Fremder
A German surname meaning "foreigner" or "stranger".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Fremder. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fremder surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Fremder in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fremder, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fremder
The surname "FREMDER" is of German origin, emerging in the late medieval period around the 14th century. It is derived from the German word "fremder," which means "foreigner" or "stranger." This suggests that the name may have been initially used to identify individuals who had migrated from other regions or were considered outsiders in a particular community.
The earliest recorded instances of the name "FREMDER" can be traced back to various German-speaking regions, including Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. It is believed that the name first appeared in official records and manuscripts during the 15th and 16th centuries, as the practice of using fixed surnames became more widespread.
One notable example of an early bearer of the name "FREMDER" is Hans Fremder, a German merchant and trader who lived in the city of Augsburg in the late 15th century. Records indicate that he was involved in the lucrative textile trade and had business dealings with merchants from Italy and the Low Countries.
In the 17th century, the name "FREMDER" can be found in various church records and local registers across German-speaking territories. For instance, Johannes Fremder, born in 1632 in the town of Bamberg, was a respected blacksmith and metalworker whose descendants continued the family trade for generations.
Another prominent figure with the surname "FREMDER" was Karl Fremder, a German philosopher and scholar who lived in the 18th century. Born in 1723 in Leipzig, he gained recognition for his writings on ethics and moral philosophy, which were influential during the Age of Enlightenment.
During the 19th century, the name "FREMDER" appeared in various historical documents and records across Central Europe. One notable individual was Wilhelmine Fremder, a German author and poet born in 1810 in the city of Dresden. Her works, which often explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition, were widely acclaimed during her lifetime.
Another figure worth mentioning is Josef Fremder, a prominent Austrian architect born in 1845 in Vienna. He was responsible for designing several iconic buildings in the city, including the Neue Burg palace and the Hofburg Theater, which showcased his mastery of the Neo-Renaissance and Baroque styles.
As the name "FREMDER" spread across German-speaking regions and beyond, it underwent various spelling variations, such as "Fremdner," "Fremmder," and "Fremmer." However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained consistent, reflecting the historical movement and migration patterns of people within and beyond the German-speaking territories.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fremder
Among Census respondents with the surname Fremder, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Fremder bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Fremder surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.2% · 104
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fremder
Fremder appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 10,139 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+4 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,595 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 10,139 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.9%) | Up 5,595 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Fremder surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #157,234 | #151,639 | 3.6% |
| Count | 103 | 107 | 3.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 19.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fremder bearers went from 103 to 107 (+3.9% change). The surname moved up 5,595 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #151,639.
FAQ
Fremder surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fremder?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Fremder. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Fremder?
Fremder ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Fremder. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Fremder.
Has Fremder become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fremder went from 103 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 4 (+3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Fremder?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fremder, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Hispanic (0.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Fremder in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.2% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fremder appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.2%), Black (1.9%), Hispanic (0.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Fremder (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Fremder mean?
A German surname meaning "foreigner" or "stranger". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Fremder (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Fremder?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Fremder on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.